


The Snow Prince

by eyeslikestarlight



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: F/M, Pre-Despair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-08
Updated: 2014-07-08
Packaged: 2018-02-07 23:28:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1918143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eyeslikestarlight/pseuds/eyeslikestarlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When she turns around to look at the puppy’s owner, the remnants of a smile still gracing her lips, she finds him staring at her with a contemplative expression.</p><p>“What?” she asks, a bit defensively. “Is there something on my face?”</p><p>He blinks quickly and immediately averts his gaze, burying his chin in his scarf once more. “Ah, n-no, I simply…that is…” He clears his throat, and Mahiru wonders where all of his bravado has gone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Snow Prince

**Author's Note:**

> So I know this is a bit of an...unusual pairing, but it just sort of happened entirely by accident in my roleplay group, and it turns out they're actually adorable together. So give it a shot, yeah?

The puppy has the most beautiful snow white fur Mahiru has ever seen, shiny and silky. Whoever owns the little guy clearly takes very good care of him. So what’s he doing standing here in the middle of the sidewalk, barking cheerfully up at her and wagging his cute little tail without a care in the world and with no owner in sight? At least the long purple leash he’s dragged behind him indicates that they’re probably nearby.

For a moment, Mahiru just blinks down at the little pup. When he continues to bark at her, she puts her hands on her hips. “Well? What is it? It’s not very polite of you to keep barking at me like that.”

But of course, he doesn’t understand her and continues to bark, until she sighs and crouches down to his level, whereupon she reaches out and gently strokes the soft fur of his head. This seems to be what he’d wanted all along, as he stops barking and nuzzles her hand happily.

For a moment, she smiles slightly as she continues to pet the little guy. That is, until she’s startled by quick footsteps and a deep, booming voice:

“Foolish mortal! Unhand the Snow Prince immediately!”

Blinking, Mahiru pulls her hands back and holds them up defensively as she looks up to find the owner of the voice and, presumably, the dog. She’s entirely unsurprised to find Tanaka looming over her, his long purple scarf billowing dramatically behind him. In his hand there are two more leashes, attached to two more dogs. These two seem to be older and much better trained than the so-called “Snow Prince,” sitting obediently at his heels.

“There’s no need to be so rude,” Mahiru frowns as she stands up straight, crossing her arms. “He came up to me and started barking, so I pet him.”

“Hmph,” Tanaka huffs, reaching down to pick the puppy’s leash up off the ground. “Human hands are not worthy to stroke the glorious visage of the Snow Prince.” The pup barks happily in agreement and trots over to sniff at the other two dogs, who haven’t budged.

Mahiru sighs and rolls her eyes. There he goes again with his whole “dark lord” act, as if he’s not human himself. “Well, _excuse_ me. Maybe you shouldn’t have let him out of your sight in the first place.”

Tanaka has the grace to look somewhat embarrassed, turning his head and burying his chin in his scarf. “…Yuki has surprising strength, considering the current size of his vessel. I hadn’t anticipated such a display.”

Huh. The redhead raises an eyebrow in amusement. The great Gundam Tanaka, bested by a puppy?

“…Well, keep a better grip on him next time and you won’t have to worry about it,” she scolds. And with that, she shakes her head and goes around him, continuing on her way.

She only manages to make it a few steps before he calls out to her—“Fiery one, wait.” When she stops and turns to face him, she’s surprised to see that the look on his face is not one of his usual detached or arrogant expressions. “…I thank you for looking after the Snow Prince until I could retrieve him.”

Mahiru takes a moment to blink in surprise, not expecting that out of him. “Oh. Uh…you’re welcome?” she says uncertainly, clearly unsure of how to respond to that.

Tanaka nods, then, and continues along his way, the three dogs walking alongside him. Mahiru watches them go for a moment, then shakes her head again and continues down her own path once more. Men.

 

* * *

 

Mahiru has a penchant for midafternoon walks, especially when spring is in the air and the sakura trees are in bloom. As soon as she gets out of class, she likes to take a nice little stroll outside, get some fresh air and take in the beauty of the new flowers.

It seems she’s not the only one. For the second time in a week, she finds herself crossing paths with Tanaka, three leashes in his hand. Which shortly becomes two when the little white pup spots Mahiru and excitedly pulls away to scamper up to her, jumping up and resting his front paws against her legs.

Startled, she looks down at him and wonders what his deal is as he woofs brightly. But despite his pleas, she doesn’t reach down to pet him. She could do without being called a “foolish mortal” today.

Tanaka, however, looks a bit sheepish as he approaches. “What happened to keeping a better grip on him?” Mahiru asks, although there’s a hint of amusement to her tone.

“It seems there’s no containing the will of the Snow Prince,” Tanaka replies solemnly, crossing his arms and looking down at the little guy. Just like before, the other two dogs are extremely well behaved, sitting silently next to the breeder.

“What’s up with him, anyway? Is he always like this?” she wonders, looking curiously down at the dog but still refusing to touch him. His woofing has become more mournful at her lack of response, and—oh dear, he’s giving her the literal puppy dog eyes, now. She has to avert her gaze in order to resist.

“Yuki has been quite rambunctious and outgoing since the very day he entered this earthly realm,” Tanaka nods slowly. “However, he seems…even more enthusiastic than usual, somehow.”

Mahiru looks down at Yuki again, and that’s _such_ a mistake because those big sad eyes are gonna melt her. Before she even realizes it, she’s reaching for her camera. “Is it alright if I take a picture?” she asks as she removes the lens cap.

“Very well…I don’t suppose it would hurt,” Tanaka replies, and Mahiru’s already got the camera up to her eye. She snaps a few quick pics before she reminds herself that this is silly and shuts the camera off again.

“Right. Uh, thanks. Keep an eye on him now, okay?” she says, re-capping the lens and casting one last glance at the pup before moving around them and heading off.

“Of course,” Tanaka scoffs, but she’s already gone.

 

* * *

 

The third time Yuki runs up to her, Mahiru begins to wonder if maybe she smells like doggy treats or something. This time, at least, Tanaka manages to keep a grip on the leash, and the little dog just drags him right up to her.

“This is getting a little ridiculous,” Mahiru comments with a note of exasperation, looking down at the dog with an expression that says, _“what? what do you want from me?”_

“I apologize,” Tanaka says, and it sounds like he means it. “But it seems the Snow Prince has taken a liking to you…”

“Why? Why me?” she asks, addressing the puppy rather than his owner. “I don’t have anything for you!” she insists as he barks joyfully, jumping up against her legs and clamoring for her attention.

Tanaka pulls lightly at the leash, but the pup doesn’t even flinch. “The needs and wants of canines are often easy to decipher, but sometimes even I cannot comprehend the inner workings of their minds,” he sighs.

Mahiru sighs as well and shakes her head. “Sorry, Yuki. I _would_ pet you, but my human hands aren’t worthy to touch you, it seems,” she tells him drily.

At that, Tanaka buries his chin in his scarf, looking almost…embarrassed? His words come out somewhat muffled when he speaks: “…….You may pet him, if you wish.”

That catches her off guard. “…Oh. Really?” She blinks up at him. “Uh, I mean…! Took you long enough.”

She almost considers refusing, after Tanaka’s rude rejection the other day, but Yuki really is too cute to resist. Finally, much to the little pup’s delight, she crouches down and strokes his fluffy head. His tail wags so wildly that his entire butt wiggles back and forth, and Mahiru can’t help but smile as he sniffs and noses at her hands.

“There. Are you happy now?” she asks Yuki in a gentle tone, one hand running along the fur of his back while the other scritches behind his ear. She doesn’t notice the way Tanaka watches her curiously.

For a moment, the only sound is the contented puppy’s panting as Mahiru continues to scratch behind his ear. He seems to like that spot a lot, and she’s rewarded with a few kisses from his little doggy tongue, which causes her to laugh slightly in surprise. She almost forgets about the animal breeder himself until he speaks.

“He has bestowed his approval upon you,” Tanaka observes. “Perhaps you are worthy of our attention after all.”

This rubs Mahiru the wrong way, and she stops petting Yuki to look up at Tanaka and frown. “I don’t need a dog’s approval to prove my worth. And I certainly don’t need it from you, either.” She stands, then, and crosses her arms.

“I…I did not mean to imply…” Tanaka trails off, and he looks…flustered. “I had simply meant that I…we…I would not mind the further presence of your company.” His cheeks are faintly flushed, and he pulls his scarf up and looks away.

Mahiru blinks at him, eyes widened and lips parted slightly in surprise. “I…oh.” She blinks some more, and now her cheeks have their own blush but she doesn’t have a scarf to hide behind. _Wait, what? What is happening. Snap out of it, girl._ “U-um…thanks? –I mean, uh, why didn’t you say that in the first place??” Her crossed arms stance has shifted from offense to defense, almost as though shielding herself.

Tanaka continues to look to the side, tugging his scarf up even farther so only his eyes are uncovered. “I-it was a foolish thought…worry not, fiery one. We will be on our way.” He tugs lightly on Yuki’s leash, and although the pup seems very reluctant, the three dogs are soon trotting alongside him as he starts to walk away.

“Wait, Tanaka!” Mahiru reacts before she even knows what she’s doing.

He pauses with his back to her, then cautiously looks over his shoulder.

“I…I think that would be…u-um, I mean. I guess that would be okay…” she tells him carefully, her cheeks still somewhat flushed. She clears her throat and smooths out the non-existent wrinkles in her skirt, trying to appear unbothered.

He blinks a few times, then turns his head to the side again. “Oh. Ah, that is—excellent. Very good, yes.” He also clears his throat. “Ah…the park that Yuki enjoys is just this way, if you would care to walk with us…”

Mahiru nods. “Right. Yes, sure.” She moves over to him, and the two begin to walk side by side. For the first minute or so, an awkward silence stretches between them, filled only by the happy trotting and panting of the dogs.

Tanaka doesn’t seem like much of a conversationalist, so Mahiru takes it upon herself to find something to talk about. “So, uh, I obviously know Yuki by now, but you haven’t introduced me to the other two.”

He seems to light up at that. “Yes, of course! This,” he says, indicating to the golden one, “is Kin. And the other—“ he indicates to the silvery-gray one: “is Gin. They are not of the same mother, but they are of the same pack.”

“I see,” Mahiru nods, looking down at the two. “They’re very well behaved.”

“Indeed. They have been with me for many moons, before the Snow Prince was even among us. He, on the other hand, still has much to learn.”

“That’s for sure,” she agrees, though not unkindly. “But hey, at least he’s cute.”

“Cute? Hmph. “Cute” does not befit a prince,” Tanaka scoffs.

Mahiru raises an eyebrow. “No? Oh my, of course you’re right, how silly of me. Not cute at all. Which terms would you prefer? Handsome? Charming? Regal?”

Tanaka holds his head up haughtily. “I believe “fearsome” or “intimidating” would be far more suitable for such a magnificent future sovereign.”

A small butterfly flutters in front of the dogs. Yuki yips excitedly and bounds towards it, but it easily flutters away. Mahiru watches and lets out a short laugh. “Oh, yes. What a fearsome creature.”

Tanaka’s only response is a low, defeated grumble under his breath, and Mahiru surprises herself by laughing softly once more.

The entrance to the park Tanaka mentioned is suddenly before them, and soon they’re walking through. Mahiru has been here before a few times; full of wide open fields and gardens and trees and fountains, it’s a nice place to have a photoshoot.

There is also a big grassy field dedicated entirely to dogs, where they’re allowed off their leashes to bound about and do as they please. This is where Tanaka leads her, naturally. The dogs start to get excited as they approach—Yuki wiggles from head to toe, and even reserved Kin and Gin start wagging their tails a bit eagerly.

Once they’re in the designated area, Tanaka leans down to unclip their leashes. Yuki races off immediately, and the other two go once he gives them the okay. When he straightens up, he looks to Mahiru. “Have you ever tamed a beast?”

“My dad never wanted any animals in the house. He said he was allergic, but I think he was just too lazy to take care of them. I always wanted a cat, though…” She shrugs slightly, looking out at the rambunctious dogs and smiling faintly at their antics.

“Ahh, the noble feline. An excellent choice, for sure.” He gazes out at the dogs as well, keeping a careful eye on his own. “The wretched demon who claimed to be my “father” was the same. He argued that these beautiful creatures were “filthy”. Thankfully, my gentle mother and I did not have to suffer his presence for very long.”

Mahiru looks over to him, curiously. She never knew his dad had walked out on him, or that he had daddy issues in general. Though it sort of seems to explain a thing or two about him, maybe. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she tells him honestly.

He waves it off. “It is of no consequence now.”

Before Mahiru can press the issue any further, Yuki comes bounding up to them. He seems to have found a little red ball, which he drops at Mahiru’s feet before barking excitedly. She looks down at the ball, then raises an eyebrow at the dog. “What? You want me to pick up this slobbery thing and throw it for you? Why don’t you ask your master, huh?” But Yuki just pants eagerly, tail wiggling excitedly, and eventually she sighs and bends down to gingerly pick it up.

Her arm isn’t that impressive, but she manages to throw it a fair distance, sending Yuki scampering after it. The way he runs is quite funny, like his back legs can’t keep up with his front legs, and he ends up nearly tripping over himself at least twice.

“The Snow Prince possesses a certain grace, does he not?” Tanaka says from behind her. When she looks at him, ready to ask if he’s blind or something, she catches an unusually wry smile. Oh. He’s not serious. The combination of the pup’s silly running and Tanaka’s words (made funnier by the novelty of Gundam Tanaka actually making a joke) are enough to coax a laugh out of her. He lets out a low chuckle as well.

When Yuki returns, he does not have a ball in his mouth. Rather, a knotted rope toy dangles from his teeth, which he presents to Mahiru eagerly. “That’s definitely not what I threw for you to fetch,” she tells him, but he just bumps his head against her leg until she gives in and kneels down to grab the other end of the rope, initiating the tug-o-war he clearly desires.

The puppy is much stronger than he seems, which might explain why he was able to pull his leash out of Tanaka’s hands at least twice. He pulls so hard that she nearly falls forward, caught off guard, but she’s able to stop herself before that happens. “Hey!” she laughs indignantly, pulling back.

They go back and forth for a little while, until she’s able to rip it away from him. She stands, dangling it just above his head, causing him to jump for it, before she finally draws back and throws it for him to fetch.

When she turns around to look at the pup’s owner, the remnants of a smile still gracing her lips, she finds him staring at her with a contemplative expression.

“What?” she asks, a bit defensively. “Is there something on my face?”

He blinks quickly and immediately averts his gaze, burying his chin in his scarf once more. “Ah, n-no, I simply…that is…” He clears his throat, and Mahiru wonders where all of his bravado has gone. “For a moment, when I gazed upon you, I was reminded of the mighty phoenix I encountered in my younger years. Fierce and unpredictable, it easily resisted my attempts to commune with it. Had I known then what I know now, I certainly would not have tried to capture it. Such a wild, untamed beauty can never be contained…” By the end of his speech, the scarf is up to his eyes, and what little remains of his face is quite red.

Mahiru’s first reaction is to comment on the ridiculousness of the claim that phoenixes are real, but when she opens her mouth to do so, she suddenly realizes what he said and why his face is all flushed. Did…did he just call her beautiful? Her eyes widen, and for a moment she just blinks at him, mouth still open. Blood rushes to her own cheeks and she quickly looks away, trying to find words to respond with. But all she can come up with is, “O-oh. Oh.”

For a long moment, neither of them says anything; Mahiru knows she should probably thank him but for some reason she can’t bring herself to say anything. Eventually she manages to open her mouth again, but any potential words are cut off by a sudden doggy whimper. Yuki comes running for Tanaka, tail between his legs, and cowers at his owner’s feet.

“What? What is it, my prince?” he asks, springing into action immediately and crouching in front of Yuki. The pup is shaking from head to toe, seemingly very unhappy but also unhurt. Mahiru looks out on the field, frowning, and catches sight of a rather big and scary-looking dog carrying the rope toy Yuki had brought her.

“Are you frightened?” Tanaka questions, and Mahiru has never heard him speak this softly before. “Do not be frightened, my sweet prince. It’s okay, it’s okay. You’re okay, you’re all right, everything is all right.” He speaks in the gentlest of tones, stroking Yuki’s fur very delicately, and the look on his face is one of genuine love and warmth.

It doesn’t take Yuki very long to stop shaking and nuzzle himself into Tanaka’s arms. “There, there,” the breeder says, with the softest and most affectionate smile on his face.

And Mahiru…shit, Mahiru can’t stop staring. This is a whole new side of him that she’s never witnessed, and god damn if it isn’t the cutest thing she’s ever seen. Wait, did she really just think that? Shit, what has gotten _into_ her?? Before she even knows what she’s doing, she pulls her camera out and snaps a picture—Mahiru, who doesn’t take pictures of boys because they’re too boring, takes a picture of Gundam Tanaka gently soothing his little puppy because there is a part of her that _needs_ to preserve this moment so she can witness it again.

Upon hearing the shutter, Tanaka looks up, seemingly startled. “Did you just…?”

“O-oh, I was just—!!” Mahiru immediately flushes again, slowly lowering the camera. She thinks up a quick lie: “You see, I’m working on a photo series of all our classmates performing their talents. So I, uh, figured this would be a good display of yours. Sort of.”

“…I see,” he says, standing up straight. “That sounds…ah…nice.”

Mahiru nods, putting the lens cover back on and looking aside, distracting herself by trying to find Kin and Gin out in the field. But following the gold and silver dogs with her eyes isn’t actually enough to distract herself from the way her heart is definitely beating a bit faster than normal.

Shit.

 

* * *

 

The fourth time Yuki runs up to Mahiru, it isn’t an accident. Probably. That is, Mahiru _may or may not have_ purposely taken a casual stroll down that same sidewalk the next day at the same time as all of their other encounters with the hopes of running into the breeder and his dogs. Maybe.

Still, she pretends to act surprised when the puppy runs up to her, tail wagging a mile a minute. “Hey there, you silly pup,” she smiles, crouching down to scratch behind his ears.

Yuki makes a happy little doggy noise and quickly lays down so he can roll over and demand belly rubs. Mahiru gives him a _look._ “What, you think you can just give me those puppy dog eyes and get anything you want from me?” His only answer is a slight whimper as he noses at the palm of her hand, squirming slightly on his back. Mahiru gives in pretty easily, rolling her eyes but smiling as she proceeds to pet his tummy.

“The whims of the Snow Prince are difficult to deny,” comes the rich voice from above her.

“Oh? Is that your excuse for letting go of him today?” Mahiru replies, looking up while continuing to rub Yuki’s belly, but she doesn’t sound at all bothered. It almost sounds like teasing, actually.

“Hmph. A prince ought to do as he pleases, and if one as powerful as the Snow Prince desires your company, he shall take it and there is nothing on this mortal plane that can stop him.” He crosses his arms, then, and tries to look haughty.

Mahiru’s eyebrows go up a bit, which tends to happen quite a lot when she’s talking to Tanaka. “So, in other words, he pulled the leash out of your hand again today and you couldn’t hold on.”

“…” Tanaka remains silent for a moment before looking away, pulling his scarf up just slightly. “The weather has been very agreeable lately, wouldn’t you say so?”

“Wow. Smooth.” Ordinarily Mahiru might have rolled her eyes at something like that, but now she’s just amused. He puts up such a silly little façade of confidence, but it really doesn’t take much to shake it.

Yuki wiggles beneath her, as if reminding her that he’s there and to please continue petting. But before she can, he wiggles some more and hops up, impatiently trotting over to Tanaka and head-butting his leg until the breeder kneels down and pets him. Once this has been accomplished, he turns his attention to Mahiru and begs with his big puppy eyes and his sweet little doggy nose until she gives in and pets him as well. The greedy little knucklehead, as if one person petting him isn’t enough.

In the process, however, the two human hands bump into one another. Mahiru doesn’t think much of it, until Tanaka draws back like he’s been burned. “Careful, careful!” he warns, shielding his non-bandaged hand with his bandaged one and holding them both close to his chest.

“Of…what?” Mahiru asks with obvious confusion, frowning at his strange behavior.

“The blood that courses through these veins is highly toxic, and unbearably lethal to mortals. Were you to touch me for more than the briefest of moments, you may perish in a horrifying and excruciating manner…”

Mahiru takes a moment to blink at him, and then she scoffs. “That’s ridiculous. You’re not poisonous, Tanaka.”

“Hah. Believe what you wish, but I speak the undeniable truth. That is why I have isolated myself from you mortals, in order to…” He trails off, then, and clears his throat. “It…it is safer to simply…leave me be.”

He stands, then, and when Mahiru looks at him she feels a sudden pang of sadness. He really is lonely, isn’t he? She had never really looked past the whole “dark lord” crap, but she’s starting to see how he uses it to shield himself from the world. To believe something so terrible about yourself like that, pull back from anyone who tries to get close…

She stands, slowly, and extends a hand to him. “Let me see your hand,” she says.

Tanaka draws back even further. “Fool…do you have a death wish?”

“Let me see it.” Her voice is firm, and so is her gaze. “Now.”

He hesitates for a moment more before he finally gives in, moving a bit closer. “Very well…but remember that I warned you…!” Slowly, unsurely, he extends his un-bandaged hand, and Mahiru takes hold of it with her own.

His hand is soft. Warm. Just like any other hand. Mahiru maintains a fairly strong grip on it, in case he tries to pull back. He flinches at first, but after a few seconds pass and she doesn’t spontaneously combust, he stares wide-eyed at their hands, and then at her.

“See?” she says quietly, without letting go. “I’m okay.”

“H…how?” he wonders, seemingly awestruck. “You…you are no mere mortal, fiery one. I was wrong to underestimate your power…”

She sighs a bit, because of course he’d rather come to that conclusion than the one she’d intended. “No,” she tells him. “It’s not me. You are _not poisonous,”_ she repeats, and now she’s holding his hand in both of hers.

His eyes flicker back and forth between their hands and her face, and suddenly his cheeks take on a reddish tint. It’s then that Mahiru realizes exactly what she’s doing, and she quickly drops his hand, feeling her own face heat up a bit.

“So um, now that that’s settled, I should…u-uh, I have homework, and stuff…” she says suddenly, looking away.

“R-right,” he agrees, not looking at her either. “As do I…”

“Yeah. So I’ll uh, s-see you later, then,” she says.

He nods. “Until we meet again…”

She looks back at him for the briefest moment, offering a slight, nervous smile before scurrying away down the sidewalk, much to Yuki’s dismay. She doesn’t see the way he watches her as she goes.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Mahiru does _not_ go for a walk. She strongly considered it, almost did it…but no, this is getting ridiculous. _You’re being silly,_ she tells herself repeatedly as she stares a bit glumly out her dorm room window.

She makes a list of reasons of why she doesn’t need a man in her life, why her heart shouldn’t beat a little faster when she looks at him, and honestly, does it really have to be _Gundam Tanaka_ of all people?? Maybe she’s coming down with something. Maybe she ought to take a trip to the infirmary, ask Mikan-chan for a checkup.

She certainly has _not_ stared at a certain photo on her camera’s screen. More than once. Nope, absolutely not.

 _Stop it,_ she reminds herself every time he pops into her head. _Men are stupid. Men are irresponsible. Men are unreliable._

But then she remembers the soft, sweet look on his face when he was comforting Yuki, the way his hand felt in hers, the way his face flushed as he compared her to a _wild, beautiful phoenix,_ and she has to stop herself from banging her head against her desk.

Mahiru doesn’t take a walk the next day, either. Or the day after that. But her incredible stubbornness isn’t enough to stop her from tossing a few glances his way during history class—which she immediately regrets after that time he catches her gaze and she has to quickly look away. Luckily, he’s on the other side of the room, so he probably doesn’t see the way her cheeks light up.

After a full week of actively avoiding going out on that walk, Mahiru is starting to rethink her decision. No one ever said she had to _marry_ the guy. It wouldn’t _really_ hurt to spend some time with him, would it? As she looks over at him in class, she honestly considers it.

Her train of thought is interrupted by the appearance of a hamster on her desk.

“Oh,” she says, blinking at the little orange and white cutie, because how else do you react to that? The hamster has a folded-up note in its mouth, which it gently sets down before nudging at her hand. She smiles slightly and takes a moment to pet the hammie before unfolding the note.

The handwriting is some odd combination of messy yet elegant. Quite simply, all it says is this: _The Snow Prince misses you._

Oh. _Oh._ Mahiru reads it once, twice, three times. Maybe seven or eight times. And the smile that crosses her lips is impossible to hold back.

It takes a minute or two before she finds the courage to write back, and once she does, she hesitates to give the refolded note back to the hamster. But he squeaks and nuzzles her hand in an almost encouraging sort of way, so she reluctantly hands it over, and he happily scurries back with it.

_Tell him to wait for me by the park entrance._

 

* * *

 

As Mahiru approaches the park, her heart begins to beat a little faster. She feels _nervous._ Why does she feel nervous? What’s come over her?? And of course, telling herself not to be so silly doesn’t help in the slightest.

Especially when her eyes land on him, already waiting for her by the entrance with three leashes in hand, and the butterflies take flight in her tummy. For a moment, she debates what to say to him, but that debate is quickly forgotten when Yuki spots her and _tears_ away from the breeder, throwing himself high-speed at Mahiru’s legs and barking excitedly.

“Hello there!” she smiles at the pup, and without really intending to do so she reaches down and picks him up. He squirms enthusiastically in her arms and immediately starts bathing her face with his tongue, causing her to laugh and wrinkle her nose. “Yes, yes, I missed you too!”

Tanaka watches quietly, a faint smile on his face. Mahiru is only able to meet his gaze for a second or two, smiling as well, before she gets nervous again and buries her face in Yuki’s soft fur.

When she sets Yuki down and Tanaka has taken hold of his leash again, he starts leading them into the park, but not in the direction of the dog run. Mahiru follows curiously, but before she can ask where they’re going, he’s speaking.

“Aha! There, observe how the fair aroma of the enchanting flora enriches the breeze in a most pleasing manner! Tell me, fiery one, does their saccharine fragrance beckon to your soul?”

Mahiru blinks at him. “I’m sorry, could you run that by me again? In Japanese, this time?”

“…” Tanaka clears his throat. “…Do you…enjoy…flowers?”

She notices the way he tugs his scarf up a little bit, and then she laughs slightly, because there was something really cute about that. Wait, _cute?_ Is she actually finding his quirks _endearing_ now? Dear lord, this has gone too far.

“I do, yes,” she tells him, looking down and admiring the flowers lining the path they’re strolling along. “My mother always had a little garden out back, and I would help her tend it. It was beautiful.”

They start talking, then, and it just sort of…flows. Tanaka tells her how his mother used to have her own little garden as well, but she was never very good at keeping plants alive, and Mahiru admits that she once over-watered a house plant and cried when it died. He tells her about the un-trainable terror of a dog who would always dig up the plants, and she tells him about the bunnies that used to hide between the flowers and the neighbor’s cat who would come and chase them away.

They soon come across a body of water that’s too small to be considered a lake but too big to be a pond. But whatever it is, it’s big enough to have a tiny wooden dock, and that’s where Mahiru chooses to sit, her feet dangling over the edge just above the water. And they haven’t stopped talking, even as Tanaka ties the dogs’ leashes to a small tree a few feet away and the three happily splay out on the grass.

“…And when I returned in the morning, to my immense surprise, I found not two rabbits as I had expected, but eight,” he describes as he takes a seat next to her on the dock.

“Oh, so is this where the breeding finally comes in?”

“I suppose you could say it was my first litter, yes. In hindsight, I see now that I handled it poorly. But I have since learned the error of my ways and understand the proper treatment of a pregnant creature.”

“Well I should hope so, considering that’s your talent and all.”

“Hmph, indeed.”

Mahiru takes note of the fact that the more they talk, the less _unusual_ he sounds. His manner of speaking is still sort of antiquated, but he sounds less like a Saturday morning cartoon villain and more like an actual human being. She wonders if that’s just her getting used to it, or if it’s him putting on a little bit less of an act than he normally would. Maybe it’s a sign that he actually feels comfortable talking to her.

She peers down into the murky pond-lake water. “What sort of things do you suppose live in here?”

He looks down as well. “I would imagine several different species of fish, thriving upon the algae. Most likely amphibians, as well. Then there are the water fowl, of course, and—look, see, out there. A reptile.” He points, and Mahiru looks out to see a little turtle sitting peacefully on a jutting rock out on the water.

Several times during their walk Mahiru had pulled out her camera to get a picture of something, and this is another one of those times. Something about the turtle just hanging out there like he’s king of the rock, with lovely little water lilies floating around him—it makes for a nice picture.

After putting the camera away in her bag again, she just holds onto the edge of the dock and kicks her feet over the water. A comfortable silence falls over the two as they enjoy the sunlight and blue sky and serene stillness of the water—comfortable, until Tanaka sets his hand down on the dock as well, and their pinkies inadvertently brush against one another.

It feels like an electric shock that passes through his skin to hers, and Mahiru’s heart skips a beat. Tanaka immediately jerks his hand back, but his reaction is significantly less extreme than it was the last time their hands brushed. Still, both of their faces immediately go red, and they look away from one another.

But neither one of them picks their hand up. Then after a long moment, her heart racing, Mahiru slides her hand a centimeter closer to him. And although she’s too nervous to look down and see it, he does the same.

Before long, they’ve inched their hands close enough together that their pinkies are touching again. Only this time, neither of them moves. Mahiru thinks he must be able to hear her heart, it’s beating so damn loud.

“S-so,” she says suddenly, feeling the need to break the silence somehow. “That, uh, _phoenix_ you mentioned the other day. What’s the story behind that?”

Tanaka is quiet for a long moment, and Mahiru practically holds her breath. Their hands are _still touching,_ just the slightest bit. “The phoenix…” he repeats. “Yes, ah…the truth about the phoenix is…” He trails off, voice getting very quiet, and looks down at the water. “There…there was no phoenix. I just…didn’t know any other way to describe how your beauty had captivated me…”

Mahiru inhales sharply, and for a moment her heart stops beating. If her face wasn’t red before, it certainly matches the color of her hair now. She finally gains the courage to lift her head up and look over at him, eyes very wide and gazing at him in a sort of disbelief. His face is just as red as hers, and he’s pulled the scarf up as usual to hide everything but his eyes, which are very much averted from hers.

A sudden rush of bravery compels Mahiru’s hand, and suddenly she’s grabbing his and intertwining their fingers together. His eyes grow equally wide, and he stares first down at their hands, and then finally up at her face, the scarf falling down somewhat.

Tanaka opens his mouth, then closes it, then opens it again. “Fiery one…” he starts, but—

“Call me Mahiru,” she says, suddenly, impulsively. It’s not the _“thank you”_ or the _“I think you’re captivating as well”_ she ought to be giving, but it might as well be.

He stares for a moment longer, and then the corners of his mouth twitch upwards and he nods, slowly. “Very well…Mahiru,” he says, and something about her name in his voice makes her stomach do backflips.

A small smile crosses her face as well, and it grows slightly as they just sort of hold the other’s gaze for what seems like ages, until her embarrassment finally gets the better of her and Mahiru looks away. Gundam does as well, clearing his throat as he does so. Their hands are still intertwined, and neither smile has quite faded away.

 

 

The weekend consists mainly of Mahiru having a number of internal arguments with herself, all of which are almost immediately forgotten when she runs into him in the cafeteria, or the dorm hallway, or the library, and those damned butterflies come back with a vengeance.

On Monday, Gundam goes out of his way to walk Mahiru to class. Several times. When it happens again the day after that, and the day after that, it starts to become routine.

So does their daily afternoon walks with the dogs.

It’s not until Friday that he works up the courage to take her hand as he walks with her. Both of their faces go beet red and neither says a word about it, until Ibuki spots them and causes quite the scene in her excitement.

And it’s not until the following Tuesday that he decides he’s finally going to kiss her.

But he never gets the chance. Because as he stands there in the park, gazing into her eyes and working up the nerve, she suddenly grabs his scarf and goes up on her toes to press her own enthusiastic kiss to his lips.

When they finally break apart for air, she calls him an idiot. He agrees. So does Yuki, barking cheerfully and running in circles around them, winding his leash around their legs like in the movies. Neither of the two can stop smiling.

**Author's Note:**

> By the way, in case you were wondering, Yuki is a Samoyed puppy, and probably the cutest thing ever.


End file.
